Hello World!

Yes, total newbage here. I have been going to school and programming here and there. I'm better at CSS/XHTML than game programming, but that isn't going to stop me...

I am running a g4ppc with 10.4.11 and Xcode2.5 so don't pick on me for having old junk!

Anyways, the question is where do I start with Xcode? Is it an IDE with C++ integrated? I just want to start simple, like everyone suggests, and make a 2d game with basic sprites and collision detection, maybe even audio! All in all, I noticed there isn't a lot out there for PPC chipsets and I want to expand that. My ultimate goal (I know, it's laughable), is a simple 2D open-source rpg. Its easier than you think if your standards are a lot lower (at least IMHO).

There's little out there for PowerPC Macs as the last PowerPC Macs were built six years ago

But if you're just interested in learning (and if you've already learnt C or any of its derivates) I'd suggest SDL as a starting point (and yes, Xcode is an IDE which calls command-line compilers eg. g++ for compiling C++)

Actually, getting down and dirty and learning some basic Mac programming with XCode and OpenGL on a PPC Mac isn't a bad idea (while you wait for a new one anyway ) as the lack of new toys for it means you're less likely to be distracted by some other shiny apps while you're learning.

The downside is going to be finding relevant documentation for the version of XCode you're using and/or suitable upgrades/libraries etc. but if you keep it simple you should be ok. Another issue is that XCode changes every major revision (not always for the better :/ ) so don't get too fond of any keyboard shortcuts or menu features you're finding in XCode 2.5

The basic system APIs and Object-C haven't changed too dramatically since XCode 2.5, there are just more new features and a few that have been made redundant, so 99% of what you learn should still be relevant.

And really, you probably don't need to worry about no one else being able to play a PPC game. If it's your first game, it'll mostly be for you anyway- it's a learning experience. You'll probably end up wanting to rewrite it to improve it at some point anyway.